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The poetics of order: Dom Hans van der Laan's architectonic space
Caroline Voet

Architectural Research Quarterly / Volume 16 / Issue 02 / June 2012, pp 137 ­ 154
DOI: 10.1017/S1359135512000450, Published online: 27 November 2012

Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S1359135512000450

How to cite this article:
Caroline Voet (2012). The poetics of order: Dom Hans van der Laan's architectonic space. Architectural Research Quarterly, 
16, pp 137­154 doi:10.1017/S1359135512000450

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Downloaded from http://journals.cambridge.org/ARQ, IP address: 84.29.215.214 on 05 Jan 2013

The Plastic Number, a system of harmonic proportion based on
studies of human perception of relative scale, informs the design
of the Jesu Moder Marias Convent in Tomelilla.
The poetics of order:
Dom Hans van der Laan’s
architectonic space
Caroline Voet
The Dutch architect and monk, Dom Hans van der
Laan (1904–1991) leaves us with a legacy of
architectural writings and realisations arising from
his search for fundamental principles of
1
architecture. His 1977 manifesto Architectonic Space
aims to combine spatial philosophical concepts with
2
practical design tools [1, 2]. The book is a series of
fifteen lessons linking concepts, such as the
relationships of inside-outside or mass-space, to his
proportional series which he refers to as the Plastic
Number. This article aims to offer an understanding
and critical assessment of Dom van der Laan’s poetics
of order by unravelling how his buildings are made
3
and how they are perceived [3]. I focus on the
case study of the Jesu Moder Marias Convent in
Tomelilla, Sweden.
In the preface of Architectonic Space, Sam J. van
Embden writes:
Van der Laan goes far back – indeed to the pre-
architectural, rudimentary spatial experience, the
interpretative activity of the perceiver of natural things,
from which he then derives indications for the productive
4
activity of the maker of artefacts, the architect.
1 Architectonic Space, 3 Atrium of Abbey
title page Sint-Benedictusberg,
Vaals, The
2 Architectonic Space, Netherlands, 1968
contents page
1 2
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theory
Already in his first writings in the 1930s, Dom van
der Laan aims to define architectural principles that
provide an intellectual expression of the act of
dwelling (‘wonen’). To dwell is to enter into a
relationship with one’s surroundings, meaning to
understand them. For van der Laan, this is the
primordial function of architecture: it makes space
readable. From his Benedictine background, he
draws concepts that enable him to understand this
complex process of cognition. He studies the old
church fathers such as St Thomas Aquinas, especially
his comments on Plato and Aristotle. The Benedictine
way of life builds upon the intertwined relation
between mystery and matter, between intellect and
senses, believing that this relation can be expressed
5
through a Platonic order.
Professor van Hooff, in describing the work of Dom
van der Laan, defines cognition as a dual process of
6
synthesis and analysis. On the one hand, there is the
act of living, a synthesis of the concrete and singular
reality. On the other hand, there is the process of
analysis by the abstracting intellect. For us to know
the concrete and singular reality, an intense
3
theory   arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012 137
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138 arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012    theory

interrelation between the two processes is needed.
How can architecture, as a concrete thing, enhance
these relations? Van der Laan translates this idea of
the reconciliation of wonen and intellect into the
concept that the concrete and singular reality is
comprehended by reading materiality and
understanding its spatial relations. In this light, it is
the task of the architect to define an order in nature
so that it can be read and understood: to create an
inside in an outside as the primordial condition for
living. These are motivations that drive Dom van der
Laan to look for an order bordering the processes of
analysis and synthesis. More concretely, he aims to
extract a proportional framework directly from
perception, from human ability to relate and
differentiate sizes. continuous and complete hierarchy, in a way that
Proportional system
Throughout history, artists and architects have used
proportional systems as an underlying order, aiming
to achieve the kind of beauty able to express this
objective reality. In the early to mid-twentieth
7
century this remains a common concern. Many
proportional systems are based around the Golden
Section 1.608… or Divina Proportione, as being intrinsic
to nature. But Dom van der Laan approaches the
concept of order from a different perspective. He
differs deeply from his contemporaries, for example
4a
Le Corbusier, who builds his Tracés Regulateurs and his
8
Modulor on Ghyka’s analysis of the Golden Section.
For van der Laan, the Golden Section in its
application is nothing more than an artificial
concept to order matter, as abstract as the discrete
quantity of mathematical numbers. Because of its
abstract nature, it proves inadequate when brought
into relation to concrete and singular reality, since it
remains on the level of analysis. To overcome this,
van der Laan looks for a ratio that is embedded in the
synthesis of the act of living itself, that grows from
9
the necessity of relations.
Dom van der Laan claims, already in 1928,
that he has discovered a ratio that is capable of
interrelating a building and its parts into a
10
the Golden Section cannot. He develops from it
11
his own series, naming it the Plastic Number.
He found it by subdividing a line into three parts,
where all the parts are interrelated by the same
ratio of 1.32471... which he practically rounds up
12
to approximate the ratio 4:3 [4a–b]. Where the
Golden Section can be mathematically described
2
by the equation x =x+1, the Plastic Number follows
3
the equation x =x+1. It makes an endless sequence
of ratios comparable to the Fibonacci series of the
Golden Section, as used in Le Corbusier’s
13
Modulor. One exceeds the other by 4/3. Unlike the
Fibonacci series, where the sum of two terms is the
next term in the series, in the Plastic Number
series the sum of two terms is equal to the next-
but-one term in the series (for example 7/4 + 7/3 =
not 3 but 4). The series can be written out
arithmetically as:
1 4/3 7/4 7/3 3 4 16/3 7
and is discussed in more detail below.
For Dom van der Laan the focus is not on the
mathematics of the Plastic Number, but on its ability
to interrelate concrete spatial phenomena through
the ratio of proportion. Here lies a fundamental
difference with the Modulor. Le Corbusier uses the

4a A line subdivided in 4b The six measures 5 The plans of Dom

three parts according formulate a Hans van der Laan’s
to 1:1.324718... or continuous series four convents,
approx. 3:4, allowing from 1 to 4, where drawings by Dom
for a continuous one exceeds the Hans van der Laan,
series of six measures. other by 4:3 comparison by Rik
This complete van der Laan
interrelation cannot
be achieved with the
4b Golden Section

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Fibonacci series to define his blue and red series of
the Modulor system, but does so through selected
fixed numbers, relating these to ergonomic
measures. Van der Laan does not start from fixed
measures. His series remains defined by ratios, which
are applicable to all kind of scales. In this sense, he
sees the Plastic Number as a bridge between
experience and abstraction, between geometry and
mathematics.
In developing his idea and system of Plastic
Number, van der Laan studied classic examples, from
the Parthenon to Hagia Sophia, trying to understand
their poetics of order, and even superimposing his
own. From Aristotle’s Poetics, he learnt how to use
archetypical schemes of grid patterns and
compositional concepts. From Vitruvius, he
borrowed spatial concepts such as symmetry and
eurhythmy, defining a concept of rhythmical
dispositions through Vitruvius’ categorised densities
14
based on the column-intercolomnium relation.
From these sources, he developed his own
proportional framework as a formal and
hierarchical spatial organisation, aiming for it to be
an objective and universal design system. Van der
Laan stated that:
we can conclude that the ancients gave the name
disposition to the totality of tangible and visible factors,
while they called the totality of the factors that have to
do with quantity ordinance. [...] Thus ordinance is
related to the quantity of things, disposition to their
quality, and the two must be coordinated. [...] Just as
nature is completed by architecture, so in architecture
15
disposition must be completed by ordinance.
Van der Laan regarded his own realised architectural
projects as ‘specimens’, testing grounds where he
could develop his theoretical framework. It was only
from 1959 onwards, through designing a crypt for
the Abbey in Vaals, that he started to understand
architecture in terms of space. From this point
onwards, he started to define an architecture with no
ornamentation and using rough materials. The
painter Théodore Strawinsky describing his
experience on entering the crypt of the Abbey, says:
‘c’est la première fois que j’ai l’émotion de l’antiquité
16
dans un bâtiment moderne’. A comment that
evokes the tactile and ascetic feeling of the building.
The following analysis aims to unravel Dom van
der Laan’s formal system, by closely linking his
theoretical spatial concepts to practical design
17
solutions exercised in the convent of Tomelilla.
Tomelilla is one of the four main projects – all
convents built between 1960 and 1995 – in van der
18
Laan’s limited oeuvre [5]. First it is important to
explain, very briefly, the proportional framework in
relation to perception and what van der Laan defined
as three scales of human experience. This is followed
by an assessment of the implementation framework.
Then each of the three scales is defined through its
abstract concept, followed by practical design
applications in the convent of Tomelilla. Several of
these analyses were developed in conversation with
Rik van der Laan, Dom van der Laan’s nephew and
right-hand man in the designs for the convents of
19
Waasmunster city and Tomelilla.
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theory   arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012 139
The proportional framework of the Plastic Number:
interweaving three scales of human perception
Van der Laan starts from the idea that one reads a
building through its parts, their interrelation and
their connection to the whole. Building parts, such
as columns or window series, operate in giving scale
to the space, thus making the space understandable.
When one reads space, one judges its size by relating
it to a reference. A reference is abstracted and
superimposed on the measured element through an
artificial process of counting. This is rooted in the
Pythagorean concept that number is the base of
everything; one reads space through its order by
counting. Based on this insight, Dom van der Laan
develops a framework that interrelates all built
elements, from the building stone to the city fabric,
as one hierarchical matrix of comparable sizes.
Van der Laan undertook a number of empirical
tests with his students in order to define the
boundaries within the series, where one scale of
20
perception ends and another begins. He used
several teaching aids. The first working tool he
21
named the abacus [6]. He asked his students to
group series of stones according to their size, asking
the questions: when is there a relation between the
stones and when not? When is there a perceivable
difference between the stones? These tests resemble
those carried out by the German experimental
22
psychologist Gustav Fechner. By this testing
method, Dom van der Laan established to his
satisfaction that a difference of size between two
building parts smaller than the ratio 3 to 4 is not
perceivable. The eye ‘levels’ smaller differences,
rounding them up to the nearest measure of the
order. He calls this ‘aura’ of unperceivable
differences the ‘margin’. So the ratio of the Plastic
Number allows for the definition of a series of
measures that represent, through the play of the
margin, the endless variety of natural measures.
In the series of six measures, that is the series:
1 4/3 7/4 7/3 3 4
the difference between the two largest measures 4
and 3 is the smallest term in the series, that is 1. Van
der Laan then chooses to extend his original series
6 The abacus, van der
Laan’s first working
tool for the study of
symmetrical
relations between
building parts, 1953
6
  The poetics of order   Caroline Voet
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140 arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012    theory

10

with two numbers, extending the series to the limits

7 The measuring
system, drawing by of an order of size, where the smallest measure stands
Rik van der Laan in ratio to the largest as 1:7 [7]. The series then
8 Nearness: disposition consists of eight terms from 1 to 7. The upper limit is
between mass and 1:7, the largest ratio in which two sizes can be related
space = 1:7 (AS XII.2.a)
and compared through perception. Beyond this
9 Threefold border they differ too much and belong to different
experience-space:
workspace –
orders of size. The smallest size 1 is the unit, the basic
walking-space – module to which the other measures relate. 7 is then
visual field
the smallest unit for the following order, which will
10 Threefold reach until 49. Out of the eight measures, van der
architectonic space: 8 Laan defines an authentic series and a derived series.
cell – court – domain
(Dom van der Laan, The authentic series then is:
Architectuur, modellen 1 4/3 7/4 7/3 3 4 16/3 7
en meubels)
One exceeds the other by 4:3. The derived series
11 The measure-system incorporates a finer grain and allows for double sizes
of Tomelilla. Numeric
to become part of the composition:
values of the building
(scheme Rik van der 7/6 3/2 4/2 5/2 7/2 9/2 6
Laan), measures in A derived measure lies in the harmonic middle of
dm
two authentic measures.

11

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So van der Laan’s proportional series has eight
terms from 1 to 7 where 1 is the unit, the module.
There are several relationships that define this
series:
• each element exceeds the preceding element by
the ground ratio 4:3
• the sum of two sequential elements is not the
following element but the one after that
• any unit in the series is equal to the difference
between the 4th and 5th units after it
• In this sense, a series can grow out of two
elements that interrelate in the ratio 3/4. Their
difference is the lower limit, their sum defines
the upper limit.
The result is a methodology that offers the
opportunity to design intuitively from interrelated
proportions, as they are expressed through whole
numbers. All kind of subtractions or additions are
possible, remaining within the harmonious
sequence. It is important to understand that the
proportion is not about the exact application of the
mathematical numbers, it is about the relation
between the ratios. It is only this relation that is
perceived within experience. So rather than
insisting on exact fractions in proportion, the
margin of tolerance, based on the limits of
perceptible difference allows for measurements to
be rounded up or down to simple ratios, that in
their turn can be matched with an exact
mathematical number within the order. Because of
this simplicity, the designer can sketch by hand
using interrelations between, for example, 1, 3, 4
and 7. It allows the architect quickly to set harmonic
sequences between buildings, the subdivision of
spaces or for example the composition of a facade.
In an intuitive manner one works from the rough
grain to the finer detail, towards the Plastic Number.
Van der Laan not only applies this proportional
framework to the composition of building parts,
but also to the relation between mass and space
within a building. For van der Laan, this relation
23
which he defines as nearness or proximity is
primordial and can only exist within the outer
limits of one order of size. The thickness of the wall,
as the unit for the space, is always 1:7 in relation to
that space. If two constructed elements define a
wider space, they cannot enter into a relationship.
From this relation, a basic spatial module is set,
from which the building can grow. The yardstick for
this scale is the size of the human body. In Dom van
der Laan’s own words:
The smallest space in an architectonic sense, the space-
cell, can therefore be either large or small, according to
the demands put upon it. The space we normally live in
is of a double-type of size with threshold measures of
about 3, 4 or 5 metres. With smaller dimensions the
space becomes less human; with larger ones it takes on
a regal character, until excessive large dimensions once
24
more make it inhuman.
Influenced by the philosophical phenomenologist
Otto Friedrich Bollnow, Dom van der Laan
introduces phenomenological concepts to explain
the relation between mass and space, and the
25
interrelation of spatial elements. It allows him to
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theory   arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012 141
express architecture in a more direct manner
through its role as a spatial boundary between
inside and outside, a more concrete separation of
the human habitat from nature. To explain the
relation between space and man he introduces a
threefold experience space: the space that we draw
into our existence through movement [9, 10]. It is
formed by three interlocking zones: the intimate
workspace (cell), the bigger walking-space (court)
and the vast visual field (domain). The experience-
space is then literally translated into a threefold
architectonic space. He expresses this in abstract
archetypical models. The human habitat is seen as a
play between three separations: cell, court and
domain. They are those three scale-levels that,
together with the thickness of the wall, feed into
Dom van der Laan’s proportional framework. The
thickness of the wall is taken as the measure by
which to read the cell, the cell is the measure to
read the court, and the court the measure to read
the domain. They interrelate to each other as 1 to 7,
and in this define the ordered terms of a series.
When it comes to a concrete design,
mathematical values are assigned to the different
scales [11]. The first step is to determine the size of
the cell, the basic space-cell that has its relation to
the thickness of the wall. This can fluctuate
between 3 and 5 metres: a living unit functionally
suitable for one person with a bed, a closet and a
desk. In the Tomelilla abbey, the thickness of the
wall is 600 mm and the cell is 4.2 m. These basic
units are incorporated into the framework,
automatically determining the other scales of court
and domain. In comparison: the scale of
Roosenberg Abbey is slightly smaller: the thickness
of the wall is 500 mm and the space-cell
is 3.5 m.
Dynamic superposition of models
Dom van der Laan uses the cell as the building
block to define a grid. Architectural design mostly
uses a grid as an underlying logic. Typically this is
based on standards inherent to construction
methods, materials or economics – for example
span length or the organisation of underground
parking. But here, these rationales are not regarded
as driving forces for the design. The grid is used in
the same way as it is used in classical architecture
– it is linked to a proportion framework. In classical
architecture grid schemes are used to define models
based on the relation of the parts to the whole. A
primary example is taxis, the framework defined by
26
Aristotle. Dom van der Laan adopts this idea of
working with grid schemes and models. He defines
abstract typological models on the three scales of
building: building plans (domain), interior spaces
(court) and wall compositions (cell), which coincide
with the interlocking orders of the measure-system
of the Plastic Number. As in classical architecture,
‘superposition’, a term defined and used by van der
Laan , is essential. By this he means that elements
are always inherent parts of a whole. From the
smallest building part to the whole terrain,
everything is interrelated.
  The poetics of order   Caroline Voet
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142 arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012    theory

Dom van der Laan interlocks his cell-court-

domain models into architecture through a
dynamic process. They are never incorporated as
singular modules or closed entities. His design
sketches do not start from a clearly predefined form
or proposition. They can more be read as generic
studies of rhythms and lines. His lines form an
endless pattern and from the crossing of those
27
traces, a figure slowly emerges [12]. A plan or a wall
is built out of several series, each with its own
rhythm related to the open/closed relation and its
12 influence on the neighbouring space [13]. His
buildings do not have a classical symmetry. The
spatial construction is not instructed by a
structural logic, as in modern functionalist
buildings. Dom van der Laan’s buildings are a three-
dimensional matrix of rhythms: a polyrhythmic
space defined by several series and their spatial
superposition. The result is a dynamic layered
architecture that induces an effect of simultaneity
and unfolds as one moves through it [14]. The
spaces are experienced as a continuous whole, not
13 as a succession of parts.

12 A study by Dom van

der Laan for a church
and crypt in Vaals.
The rhythm of the
horizontal layers is
still ‘equal’. The
rhythm of the
windows above is
still related to the
rhythms of the pillars
below. For every
pillar there are two
windows, which is
a traditional
symmetry. From
1959 onwards, this
changes and he
designs with a more
dynamic approach.
This can be seen in
the built church

13 Axonometric of the
church (after 1968)
by Dom van der Laan
showing eight
openings at the
bottom and fourteen
windows, rather than
sixteen, at the top

14 Roosenberg Abbey ,
Waasmunster,
Belgium, 1972–75

14

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 theory   arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012 143

Scale I, disposition of the overall plan:
between cella, court and domain
Cell, court and domain can relate to each other in
different ways. Dom van der Laan develops a series of
nine models where cell court and domain are placed
together, either from the centre of the plan or
around the periphery [15, 16]. The models are called
either central or peripheral disposition accordingly.
He gives preference to a peripheral disposition,
expressed in models 5, 6, 8 and 9. Here, the three
spaces interlock. A court is formed by a cell and not
subdivided by it. On model 9, he explains:
This combination of the peripheral juxtaposition of cells
around the inner court and the inner courts around the
square produces the great unity of threefold architectonic
space. This space, which has to fit our threefold space-
experience, is no longer generated by three independent
concentric boundaries; the same wall that gives rise to the
cell now, through the cell, calls the inner court into being,
28
and through the court the square.
As an example of this interlocking concept of
superposition, he makes an analysis of the Hagia
Sophia [17]. The thickness of the wall A stands in
relation to the whole space, through the cell-spaces B
29
and the side-chapels C.
The scheme of peripheral disposition is closely
related to the archetypical form of a farm or of a
small convent: cells around a court with a church or
main building [18, 19]. Cell, court and domain
remain close to the scheme, as a city in its embryonic
state. In the convent, the cell has two different
expressions. Adjacent to the church, living cells
immediately surround the court. They are the first
habitable space, but also the framing of the court.
They define this court as a first exterior. In larger
convents, the cells are situated on the first floor.
The relation with the court is then realised through
the bigger spaces on the ground floor, a gallery and
stairs. In the church itself the smallest space-cell
appears as a gallery, becoming the unit of size for
the bigger space.
17 Analysis by Dom van
der Laan of the Hagia
Sophia (first
drawings from 1955,
this drawing is from
Le Nombre Plastique
[Leiden: Brill, 1960],
XIII.13, fig. 26). One
can compare it to
scheme 9 of the
peripheral
disposition

17

18

15

15 Nine schemes for the 4 peripheral court 8 peripheral

disposition of cell, with central cell juxtaposition of
court and domain, 5 peripheral court courts with
according to an order with peripheral peripheral cell
of size a1–a4: cell 9 peripheral
1 central court with 6 peripheral court juxtaposition of
central cell with peripheral courts with
2 central court with juxtaposition of peripheral
peripheral cell cells juxtaposition
3 central court with 7 peripheral of cells (from
peripheral juxtaposition Architectonic Space
juxtaposition of of courts with [Leiden: Brill, 1983], 19
cells central cell III.13, p. 30)

16 Models from the 18 Scheme 6 of the 19 Plan form: Early

exhibition: peripheral disposition,
Architectuur, in comparison to a
modellen en meubels, Syrian convent. The
Museum three zones are
Bonnefanten, expressed in their
Maastricht, 1982 embryonic state.
Study: Rik van der Laan
Churches In Syria by H.
C. Butler (Princeton
University, 1929). This
book was often used
by Dom van der Laan
and his students as
study material

16

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144 arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012    theory
Disposition of the plan for Tomelilla
The layout for this convent builds upon the
concept of peripheral disposition: a complex of
interlocking spaces situated on the edge of the
domain [20]. Dom van der Laan regards it as a
conglomerate of material layers interlocking an
exterior space, the ungraspable nature, and an
interior, the convent’s ‘hortus conclusus’, a
30
restored Garden of Eden. As there is not yet a real
location, the design of the domain is fictive and
directed towards the building. The convent is
organised around two inner courts: one part for
the guests around a small square court at the front
and, diagonally to the rear, a court for the sisters
with the church. Two wings line up in the middle,
so that the two fields with courts touch each other
in a corner. This disposition leads to a crucifix-
shaped plan and allows for several distinct squares
and gardens around the convent. This abstract
scheme, as first idea, will be kept intact during a
design process of more than four years.
At the beginning of the design process, the space-
cell is used as a base for the definition of a modular
grid. On the grid, several formulas for dispositions
can be traced.
20
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The first sketch for Tomelilla builds upon a general
formula defining the convent wings in relation to
the court [21]. Rik van der Laan made the two first
schemes shown, documenting this basic formula
31
used for all Dom van der Laan’s convents. As an
‘under layer’ it concretises the abstract models of
cell-court-domain and their peripheral disposition.
We see four loose wings that through their
placement shape a court. The size of the cells is
repeated in the court. Between court and wing there
is a gallery, which resembles a stretched cell. The
wings themselves are formed by a double row of cells.
Theoretically, the court is seven times bigger than
the cell or gallery, as in the second scheme. The
gallery in this sense is marginal compared with the
court: they belong to the same order of size, as
extreme measures. In this case, the cells transform
from a living room or sleeping cell to galleries
around a court. In the first case, they are functional,
in the other they are expressive, as the framing of the
court. In the embryonic convent, the cells are at the
same time living units and frame. This formula feeds
directly into the concrete plan of Tomelilla: seven
wings around two courts. The church is wider and
consists of four cells [22].
20 First sketch made by
Dom van der Laan for
the Jesu Moder
Marias convent at
Tomelilla, Sweden,
soon after the visit of
Abbess Moder Tyra,
16 March 1986
21 Underlying patterns,
drawings: Rik van der
Laan
22 Impression of the
convent at Tomelilla,
Caroline Voet. The
part for the guests on
the right is not yet
built
21
22
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 theory   arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012 145

Ordinance of the plan for Tomelilla
The scheme below traces the general measurements
of the courts in relation to the domain [23–25]. All of
them can be situated in the first order of size which
ranges from 302 dm to 2162 dm. Van der Laan always
takes measurements in decimetres (10dm =1m). Here
measurements are always taken from the centre of
the wing.
302 dm x 7 = 2114 + 42 + 6 = 2162 dm
The overall layout is square: 1060 dm x 1060 dm.
The smaller guest court is 302 dm x 302 dm.
The bigger court for the sisters is 456 dm x 456 dm.
The distance between the convent and the
perimeter of the domain is 302 dm, being the
measure for the whole domain.
The measurements between court and cell follow
order II from 42 dm to 302 dm [24–27].
42 dm x 7 = 294 + 6 + 2 = 302 dm
The wings have a width of 84 dm, or 2 x 42 dm, the
doubled cell.
The church has a width of 196 dm, with side aisles
of 42 dm and a central nave of 2 x 56 dm.
42dm : 56 dm = 3 : 4.
The proportion of the core-measurements gives one
approach. The plan is also conceived from the
proportions of the wings in relation to the net
measurements of the courts. Depending on the
different widths of the wings, these receive a specific
proportion of their own. Also the partial addition of
the galleries has its influence here.
Court of the sisters: 5 x 42 dm : 7 x 42 dm
Court of the guests: 4 x 42 dm : 5 x 42 dm
The proportion 42 dm : 302 dm gives the initial
relation between the gallery and the court.
Eventually, the width of the gallery is fixed on
36 dm instead of 42 dm. As such, the courts become
slightly bigger.

23 Basic measures of the 25 The applied 26 Overview of

axes of the convent, measures, drawing: Tomelilla, Caroline
drawing: Rik van der Rik van der Laan. The Voet
Laan used measures are
grey 27 First floor of
24 Basic measures of the Tomelilla, Caroline
convent wings and Voet
courts, drawing: Rik
van der Laan

23

25

26

24 27

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146 arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012    theory

Scale II, disposition of the house: Six different types of convent spaces
from cell to gallery to hall space Throughout the designs of the four convents, Dom
As the wall serves as a unit for the cell, this smallest van der Laan develops a catalogue of spatial types,
33
space serves as a unit for the larger spaces. Dom van which he reuses several times.
der Laan states that: ‘the smallest space, the space-
The cell as sleeping unit
cell, is the basis of the complete human habitat. It
The sleeping cell is the smallest spatial unit within
spreads out into the form of the whole house, which
32 the convent [30–33]. It has the immediate 1:7 relation
in its turn is absorbed into the urban context’.
to the thickness of the wall. As a contained unit it
As the cell is stretched in one direction, the other
offers one bed, one desk with one chair and one
direction is still under the influence of the nearness
closet. Combined into series, the cells occupy the first
of the adjacent walls. A bar-like space arises,
floor. They are connected with each other through a
presenting itself as a gallery [28, 29]. One wall can
central wooden corridor. Each cell has two large
remain closed, the other needs openings to express
windows. Already here, there is the contrast between
the thickness of the wall. The gallery is a maximum
the inward movement through the heaviness of the
of seven times bigger then the cell, since a space in
walls and the outward projection of the framed view.
which the distance between the walls is more than
In Tomelilla, the sisters have a bathroom in each cell.
seven times their thickness, according to Dom van
Here the formula is adjusted: a strip of wet cells
der Laan, has no architectural form. So in larger
borders one row of cells, connected by a side corridor.
spaces, the relation between mass and space is
realised through the superposition of a gallery. This
superposition of the gallery in the space, the fact 28 From cell to gallery to 30 Cell in Roosenberg 32 Typical plan of cells
that they are situated one inside the other, allows for hall space, models: Abbey in Roosenberg
Architectonic Space,
a relation between them. The wall relates to the XII.2 to XII.10 31 Cell in Roosenberg 33 Typical plan of cells
gallery, and the gallery to the whole space. In this Abbey, Dom Hans van in Tomelilla
29 Gallery at der Laan
way, the nearness relation with the wall is secured. Roosenberg Abbey
The proportions of the hall can then be expressed in
relation to the gallery.

29

28

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 theory   arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012 147

The hall as the model of the church

The church is of the classical basilica type, a central
space with a narthex and an apse [34–36]. Together
with the two lower side aisles or galleries, these
smaller conglomerate spaces ensure the
interrelation of the whole church with the
surrounding walls. The galleries relate to the whole
space as 2:9. The higher vertical nave allows for a
series of top windows, allowing zenithal light into
the central space. The church embodies the effects of
phenomenal transparency through the different
overlapping rhythms of the four bottom column-
spaces and the nine top windows. It gives a
horizontal layered effect to the overall space in
contrast to its verticality. In Tomelilla, the church has
34
a specific eurhythmic shape: height to width to
35
length relate to each other as 3:4.

34 Church in Tomelilla 35 Church in Tomelilla, 36 Typical plans of

drawing: Rik van der the church in
Laan Tomelilla

30

34

31

35

32

33 36

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148 arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012    theory
The half-space
The spaces on the ground floor, for example the
refectory or the chapter room, are shaped
according to the specific formula of a hall space
with one gallery [37–39]. The gallery relates to the
space as 2:5. Also here different bay-rhythms
evoke an overall dynamic spatial effect. The
typical half-space is based on the bay-rhythm of
the cells on the first floor. In Tomelilla this is four.
In a classical composition, this would lead to a
further organisation of the space according to
the rhythm of four, meaning four windows in the
facade and four column-spaces. But Dom van der
Laan chooses to use a shift: five windows and
three column-spaces. In the facade this gives a
bay-rhythm of five that relates as 3:4 to the cells.
For the column-spacing this gives a bay-rhythm
that relates to the cells as 4:3. In this way, the half-
space becomes an interrelated play of three
successive bay-rhythms.
37
38
39
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The library
As the half-space, the library is in superposition with
a gallery relating to the space as 2:5 [40–42]. But here
this gallery becomes a double-height vertical reading
space. In Vaals, two rows of windows provide an
abundance of light. In Tomelilla there is only one
high row of windows, as the library is partially
underground. Here, the zenithal light emphasises
the verticality of the space. Adjacent to the gallery are
two levels for the storage of books. They are quite low
and dark. So besides the typical shifts in the rhythms
of column-spaces and window openings, also a
vertical-horizontal overlap is emphasised here.
Within the expression of the building elements, this
effect is reversed. The continuous concrete threshold
and buttress of the windows give a horizontal effect,
while the columns are articulated as vertical masonry
elements. All of these different rhythmical narratives
come together in the reading room. Moving along the
central stair allows for this experience to unfold
through changing diagonal perspectives.
37 Guest conference
room in Roosenberg
38 Half-space in
Tomelilla, drawing:
Caroline Voet
39 Typical plans of the
hall spaces in
Tomelilla
40 Library in Vaals
41 Library space in
Tomelilla, drawing:
Caroline Voet
42 Plan of the library
in Tomelilla
40
41
42
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The staircase
The dark staircase has an overall size of four cells
[43–45]. It formulates a connection between the
functional spaces and the brightly-lit central court
gallery. In this sense, it is an in-between space,
offering a progression from light to dark before
entering. The stair itself is situated in a slot
between the facade and a parallel wall. The slot is
lit from above by four windows on the first floor. In
this way, the stair is a brightly lit focal point from
where the light guides you upstairs, in contrast
with the dark hall. This is enhanced by the fact that
the upward movement is ‘announced’ by five steps
towards the slot: first a movement towards the
light, then a movement alongside the light. The
wall ends on the first floor as a parapet, so the
perspective opens up as one moves upwards.
43 Staircase in
Roosenberg
44 Staircase in
Tomelilla, drawing:
Caroline Voet
45 Typical plans of a
staircase
46 Programmatic
layout, Dom van
der Laan, 25 May
1986
43
44
45
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theory   arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012 149
Disposition of the spaces in Tomelilla
For the disposition of the spaces in the general plan,
Dom van der Laan uses the plan with the bay-
measures as an under layer [46]. The drawing is then
used as a grid on which the actual spaces are further
organised. Many of these first grid layouts are
effectively drawn on squared paper, the squares
being the basic space-unit (4.2 m in Tomelilla).
On the first floor, the space-unit is directly
translated into the bay-measure of the sleeping cells.
A connecting corridor and halls for stairs are
inserted. On the ground floor, space-units are
combined into bigger hall spaces. The main
circulation is the cloister gallery around the inner
court. Circulation halls are linked to this spine,
forming a connection with the cloister entrance, the
first floor and the different spaces. To organise the
different spaces functionally, Dom van der Laan
follows the universal and generic convent layout.
36
Every space has its specific use, reflecting daily life.
46
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Scale III, disposition of the wall:
column-spacing and window arrangement
Dom van der Laan regards the wall as a composition
of wall pieces with clearly delineated orthogonal
open and closed parts [47]. The size of the parts is
defined within the order relating the wall to the
cell. Every wall piece is an eurhythmic and
symmetric play of measures in the order defined by
the wall thickness as basic unit. The direct
perception of the different shapes: block-bar-slab
can be clearly found [48,50]. He calls it ‘the
articulation of the wall under the influence of the
37
Plastic Number’. Through the repetition of
openings and columns, each wall defines a distinct
bay-rhythm.
This repetition in the wall of open and closed parts to the
rhythm of the smallest spatial unit is a universal
architectural phenomenon; at all times and in all places,
walls display rows of doors or windows, of columns or
piers, which can moreover be built up in tiers if the space
38
they bound is also developed vertical.
47 Study of the window
47
48
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The size of the openings is always seen in relation to
the bay-rhythms of the wall, in other words the
opening is superimposed on the wall. To define the
rhythm of these open and closed relations, Dom van
der Laan uses the five column-spacings of Vitruvius
[48]. Here the column interval is expressed as a
function of the diameter of the column, fixing five
distinct proportions. Dom van der Laan translates
these through Plastic Number ratios, defining the
column width to the distance between the columns,
which is the bay-rhythm. The eustylos is the most
39
‘pleasing’.
Practical example:
ordinance of the Tomelilla garden wing
The grid of 42 dm x 42 dm is used as a basic layer
from which the plan is refined [51–54]. The central
axis that divides the wing in two equal parts of 42
dm (the double nearness of the cell) is shifted
according to successive rhythms: 18 – 24 – 32 – 42.
Also in section the wing is composed through a
multitude of relations. Within the framework of
compositional dimensions, several options are
possible. In this way it is possible to shift the
outcome until also the functional dimensions are
achieved. For example: the basic wing with its
depth of 84 dm has a height of 98 dm. They are
derived measures. The heights of the first floor and
roof, and the ground floor, 42:56 are related as 3:4.
The gallery at the inner court is reduced to 36 dm.
36 = 6/7 of 42.
48 The five column-
arrangement for a spacings, 49 Opening from small
facade at Tomelilla, Architectonic Space, to big, Architectonic
Dom van der Laan XI.10 Space, IV.12–14
50 Crypt in Vaals
49
50
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53

51

54

51 Measurements of the convent wings, 53 Garden wing at

garden wing, measurements are Tomelilla
Tomelilla, drawings: taken from order II
Rik van der Laan and order III. The 54 Wall pieces of the
ordinance of the wall chapter hall,
52 For the ordinance of pieces can be drawing: Rik van der
52
the spaces within the situated in order IV Laan

Although the halls of the ground floor are
organised according to the bay-width of the cells,
meaning 4 x 42 dm, this rhythm is not accentuated
in the spaces. It is the rhythms of the window
arrangement and the column-spacing of the gallery
that are dominant.
Window arrangement: 5 x 32 dm
Columns-spacing: 3 x 56 dm
32, 42 and 56 are three consecutive authentic
measures. The overlay of these three rhythms gives
the specific asymmetrical dynamics, which are so
inherent in the architecture of Dom van der Laan.
Each wall is a composition of several wall pieces
that are all derived from order III and order IV. From
the inside, they define the bay-rhythms of the spaces,
from the outside they define the composition of the
facade. For example: the ground floor windows are
arranged according to a central disposition (the
window is defined as the smallest unit). Window and
bay-width relate to each other as 14:32, or 3:7. The
relation between mass and opening is 4:3. A typical
hall space has five windows. This design process is
equally applied throughout the whole convent and
also in section.

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152 arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012    theory
Expression through matter and light
The result is an architecture that is expressed
through interrelated rhythms [55]. Surely, such
an architecture can also be achieved with other
proportional systems, but the aesthetics would
be slightly different. The Plastic Number 1.325
gives a more robust expression than for example
the Golden Section 1.618. But the essence of the
Plastic Number is not its aesthetic appearance
in itself. Its strength lies in the way it defines a
series of relations. It is the conscious use of the
van der Laan series that allows for the design to
be a play of rhythmical compositions,
interweaving all the scales.
To materialise his designs, Dom van der Laan
develops a formal language inspired by Old Syrian
churches and Italian medieval monastic
architecture. The rectilinear approach within the
design is expressed by a minimalist formal language,
dominated by heavy walls and galleries in masonry
or concrete. Because of the lack of ornamentation or
standardised detailing such as plinths, frames or
cantilevered inclined window sills, the building
parts are defined by clear lines between mass and
void. Lintels and thresholds are continuous concrete
elements that give a horizontal articulation.
Windows are rhythmical openings with the same
dimensions inside and outside. The use of simple
material finishing, wood, paint or roughcast with
plaster in complementary grey colours, enhances the
sensorial qualities of the materials, rendering the
space extremely tangible. The focus moves from the
building material to matter. This is enhanced by the
light. Because of the articulated series of openings,
daylight illuminates the space through different
intensities. It creates patterns of its own through a
pronounced light/dark shadow play. Because of the
rough finishing of the spaces, the light plays with the
effect of the subtle topography of the surfaces,
bringing the architecture to life.
Dom van der Laan’s aim is to create an architecture
that induces an immediate sensorial experience
which directly feeds into an intellectual assessment,
allowing the reading of space through the senses.
This architecture does not rely on religious
symbolism for the production of meaning. Instead it
thrives on a different type of spirituality through its
affective qualities.
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Conclusion
No proportional system offers a guarantee to create
beautiful buildings [56]. This is dependent on the
manner in which the system is implemented, design
choices made and, most importantly, the skill of the
designer. In this sense, it is important to understand
that the dynamics of superposition used by Dom van
der Laan, his skill in the detailed realisation of the
design, is equally important in achieving the desired
spatial effects in his buildings. It is not only about
the order, but also about the poetics. What is unique
about the interwoven series of the Plastic Number, is
that it offers an intuitive framework. It is not about
designing with a ruler to achieve exact proportions.
The loose margins enable the designer to sketch by
hand. For Dom van der Laan and his students this
methodology is far removed from an artificial
application that sets limitations. On the contrary, for
them it means freedom.
In 1959, Gerrit Rietveld, in assessing Dom van der
Laan’s work, writes:
Our perception is based on distinction. […] The more
clear the distinction, the more clear reality is to us. Dom
Hans van der Laan’s Plastic Number is one of the
systems through which one gets acquainted with the
laws of our discernment and how it reacts to plane and
spatial measures. In my opinion, the knowledge of the
laws of discernment is pre-eminently useful to
55 Roosenberg Abbey 56 Dom van der Laan
explaining his
analysis of
Stonehenge to his
students, 1973,
Kruithuis Den Bosch,
photograph: Dom
Xavier Botte
56
55
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 theory   arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012 153

intuitively correct certain proportions, until the
highest clearness is achieved. More systems seem
possible to approach this, but I don’t know any that is
40
so complete and scientifically described.
It is not an easy methodology. It cannot be grasped
in an instant. To explain his method Dom van der
Laan developed a course of fifteen lessons,
grounded in his general philosophical approach. In
order to grasp the ‘method’ with any certainty van
der Laan emphasised the need for practising,
sketching and experimenting with the method. His
proportional framework is ultimately about seeing.
For him this understanding of seeing is
fundamental to the craft of an architect, it is the
architect’s main skill. Architecture is about order,
order that can be seen to be skilfully proportioned
according to our perceptual limitations and
abilities, and in this sense, the Plastic Number can
offer a useful tool to train designers to develop a
consciousness towards space.

Notes
1. For a comprehensive overview see:
Hilde de Haan and Ids Haagsma,
Gebouwen van het Plastisch Getal: Een
lexicon van de ‘Bossche School’
(Haarlem: Architext, 2010).
2. Dom Hans van der Laan, De
Architectonische Ruimte (Leiden:
Brill, 1977).
3. The concept of ‘Poetics of Order’ is
based on: Alexander Tzonis and
Liane Lefaivre, Classical Architecture:
The Poetics of Order (Cambridge, MA:
MIT Press, 1986). The book analyses
architecture as a formal system
from a historical point of view.
4. Sam J. van Embden, Preface in:
De Architectonische Ruimte, p. IX.
5. For more information on Dom
van der Laan’s liturgical
background in relation to his
architecture, see: Michel Remery,
Mystery and Matter (Leiden: Brill,
2010).
6. Dom van der Laan reached these
insights through the work of for
example Maurice Blondel. In the
1970s, Brother van Hooff in the
Abbey Sint-Benedictusberg
developed a Ph.D. on his work. See:
Anton van Hooff, Over wonen en
meten, ontwerpen als menselijke
handeling, lecture at the van der
Laan dag (Boxtel, January 2011).
7. Besides the work of Matila Ghyka,
for example The Geometry of Art and
Life, 1946, we can mention: Colin
Rowe, Mathematics of the Ideal Villa,
1947 and Rudolf Wittkower,
Architectural Principles in the Age of
Humanism, 1949.
8. Le Corbusier, Vers une Architecture,
1923 and Le Modulor, 1948.
9. Anton van Hooff, Over wonen en
meten, ontwerpen als menselijke
handeling.
10. van der Laan, unpublished
biographical text in the light of an
interview with Antoine Bodar, 26
March 1988, p. 7 (Van der Laan
Archives Sint-Benedictusberg
Abbey).
11. van der Laan, Architectonic Space:
Fifteen Lessons on the Disposition of
the Human Habitat (Leiden: Brill,
1983), VII, ‘Ground-Ratio’.
12. This is how it is explained by
him in Richard Padovan, Dom
Hans van der Laan, Modern Primitive
(Amsterdam: Architectura &
Natura, 1994), p. 85.
13. It can be compared to the Golden
Section x2=x+1, which is used in
the Fibonacci sequence. See also:
Godfried Kruijtzer, Ruimte en Getal,
Het Plastische getal en Het gulden
snedegetal (Amsterdam:
Architectura & Natura, 1998).
14. Dom van der Laan only quotes
Aristotle and Vitruvius as sources
in Architectonic Space.
15. Architectonic Space, VI.13, ‘Threefold
Function’.
16. W. Graatsma and H. J. M. Tilmanns,
eds, Memorial Volume Published on
the Occasion of the Award of the
Limburg Prize for Architecture to Dom
H. van der Laan (Maastricht:
Albertusstichting, 1989), p. 13.
17. For a relation between van der
Laan’s theory and buildings, see
also: Richard Padovan, Dom Hans
van der Laan, Modern Primitive. This
paper emphasises also the link
with the practical design process.
18. The four main convents are:
Extensions at the Abbey Sint-
Benedictusberg, Vaals, The
Netherlands, 1957–86 (crypt,
church, guest wing, atrium,
library, gallery), Abbey
Roosenberg of the Mariazusters of
Franciscus, Waasmunster,
Belgium, 1972–75, Motherhouse of
the Mariazusters of Franciscus,
Waasmunster centre, Belgium,
1978–85, Jesu Moder Marias
Kloster, Mariavall, Tomelilla,
Sweden, 1991–95 (only first part
realised).
19. In the light of the publication of a
cahier on Tomelilla, Rik van der
Laan and Caroline Voet had several
working sessions and interviews,
in which Rik became an
important mentor on the design
methodology of Dom van der
Laan. He explained and
documented the methodology
through drawings and analysis,
thus enabling Caroline Voet to
develop an in-depth and critical
thesis. The realisation of the
cahier is organised by the Friends
of the Van der Laan Stichting,
Amsterdam, under the direction
of Rob de Carpentier, Gerhard
Brüggemann and Babs Rentjes.
20. Architectonic Space, VIII, ‘Measure-
Systems’.
21. The abacus was used as the first
teaching aid to compose
buildings. Symmetry is to
compare two lengths in the same
direction, the corresponding
dimensions of two distinct forms.
‘This the ancients called
symmetry, not in the sense in
which the word is used at
present, to mean the identity of
two opposite halves, but in the
sense of the proportion between
the sizes of the parts of a
building, from a smallest up to
the whole.’ See: Architectonic Space,
IX, ‘Symmetry’. These lengths can
be juxtaposed or superimposed.
The other compositional term
used by Dom van der Laan is
eurhythmy, in which several
dimensions of a single form are
compared. See: Architectonic Space,
X, ‘Eurhythmy’.
22. Gustav Theodor Fechner (1801–
1887) did several empirical tests
with his students, categorising
different geometric shapes. His
favourable outcome was often
the Golden Section.
23. Richard Padovan translates the
word ‘nabijheid’ as
‘neighbourhood’, with the
approval of Dom van der Laan
himself. Nevertheless, the author
here prefers the term ‘nearness’.
24. Architectonic Space, XII.4,
‘Disposition of the House: Space-
cell, Unit of Size’.
25. Otto Friedrich Bollnow, Mensch
und Raum (Stuttgart: W.
Kohlhammer GmbH, 1963).
26. Aristotle, Poetics, bk. VII, para. 35.
Another reference is Vitruvius
and his practical definition of
grid schemata and tripartite
taxis. This is explained in for
example: Alexander Tzonis
and Liane Lefaivre, Classical
Architecture: the Poetics of Order.
27. This is for example explained in:
Stan Allen, ‘From Object to Field’,

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154 arq . vol 16 . no 2 . 2012    theory
Architectural Design 127: Architecture
after Geometry (1997), 24–31 (p. 24).
Stan Allen here describes generic
patterns as the Cordoba Mosque.
28. Architectonic Space, III.15, ‘Inside and
Outside: The Town’.
29. van der Laan, Fourteen Lessons on the
Plastic Number or the Architectonic
Ordinance, Expressivity, Kruithuis, 7
and 21 May 1955 (Van der Laan
Archives Sint-Benedictusberg
Abbey).
30. From: Geert Bekaert, ‘Een beginsel
van altijd en overal’, in Landschap van
kerken, 10 eeuwen bouwen in
Vlaanderen (Leuven: Davidsfonds,
Leuven and Antwerp: Standaard
Uitgeverij, 1987), pp. 278–85 (p. 280).
31. These drawings can be seen as a
concretisation of the abstract
models in Architectonic Space, III,
‘Inside and Outside’ into more
concrete formulas. They are based
on the formulas for city patterns
that Dom van der Laan developed
in Architectonic Space, XIII,
‘Disposition of the Town’.
32. Architectonic Space, XII, ‘Disposition
of the House: Space-cell, Unit of
Size’.
33. The typical plans are fragments
from several plans of Dom van der
Laan.
34. Eurhythmy is the relation between
the measures within one form. The
length is put in relation to the
width and the height. This is in
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contrast to symmetry, which is to
compare two lengths in the same
direction. See: Architectonic Space,
IX.
35. The measurements of the
church in Tomelilla are: 14.3 m x
19.6 m x 26 m.
36. Van der Laan is guided in his
planning by the tradition of
convent layout. See for example:
H. C. Butler, Early Churches In Syria
(Princeton University, 1929),
a book often used by Dom van der
Laan and his students as study
material.
37. Architectonic Space, XI.7,
‘Disposition of the Wall’.
38. Architectonic Space, XI.6,
‘Disposition of the Wall:
Juxtaposition of Wall-sections’.
39. Architectonic Space, XI.11,
‘Disposition of the Wall: Their
Interpretation’.
40. G. Th. Rietveld, Letter to Dom Hans
van der Laan, 27 April 1959, Copy
Archives Sint-Andriesabdij Brugge.
Illustration credits
arq gratefully acknowledges:
Author, 3, 4, 14, 19, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30,
32-34, 36–45, 50, 53, 55
Xavier Botte, 56
Van der Laan Archives, Sint-
Benedictusberg, Vaals, 1, 2, 6, 8-10,
12, 13, 15-17, 20, 28, 31, 46–49
Rik van der Laan, 5, 7, 11, 18, 21, 23-25,
35, 51, 52, 54
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude
to Rik van der Laan, who became a
true mentor in understanding this
work.
I would also like to thank all of
those who read preliminary versions
of this paper: my supervisor Dr Yves
Schoonjans, Brother Lambertus
Moonen from Sint-Benedictusberg
Abbey and Leo en Joke Tummers.
Without the editing support and
confidence of Rob De Carpentier,
Babs Rentjes and Gerhard
Brüggemann, friends of the Van
der Laan Stichting, this part of the
research would not have seen the
light of day.
Biography
Caroline Voet is an architect
conducting doctoral research on the
work of Dom van der Laan at the Sint-
Lucas School of Architecture,
Brussels-Ghent and the Arenberg
Doctoral School at the KULeuven,
Belgium. Supervisors are Dr Yves
Schoonjans and Dr Luc Verpoest.
Author’s address
Dra. Caroline Voet
Sint-Lucas School of Architecture
Hoogstraat 51
9000 Ghent
Belgium
voetcaroline@gmail.com
IP address: 84.29.215.214